The mantis hurled forward with savage intent, its six legs churning the cracked marble beneath it. Max barely dived under a shattered pillar, using its jagged edge as cover while the insect’s blade-sharp forearms slashed through stone overhead. A thunderous crack split the pillar in twoAs if that wasn't enough, a boulder came crashing between them, almost crushing Max. He didn't see it coming....like literally he really didn't... it collapsed in a plume of dust. just after the weird sound that goes....Zzzzzzshhh!!!“Lazer eyes?Seriously? You gotta be kidding me!!” Max muttered, dripping sarcasm despite his pounding heart. He rolled clear as the creature whipped around, claws arcing to impale him. Its crimson eyes gleamed with the cruel curiosity of a top predator—though Max wondered if this malformed horror truly ruled the ruins of the early apocalypse, or reveled in terrorOr maybe a new royal amidst mutants?“Congratulations on your honor,” Max gulped, voice hollow. The man

Lorne soon awoke from sleep, his eyes set on Max still lying peacefully,'it's good he's fine, as for the monster that caused the crater, it's not safe for such a creature to still be walking about freely. its... dangerous..!' as if knowing what he was thinking, Max pressed his eyelids, making one wonder what terror he hid his eyes from in his dreams.”You are... up? “ with a weird sense of de-javu, Lorne probed''Yeah, was hoping I wasn't, the dream was just getting fun, you know.'' whinnied max still yawning.Max soon furrowed his eyebrows as he noticed something else, something weird. It felt like a new energy was coursing through his flesh and soul interlinked; it was too minute to cause an immediate rise in strength. But in the world, he found himself in a situation where anything would do, and he appreciated that.Bzzzbzzz tschhhh zzz!!!a scratchy tune of unclear frequency drew the duo's attentionLorne went ahead to search for the source, only to bring out a dusty old gen radi

After the wasp fled from the battle, Lorne quickly attended to Max's injuries. The buzzing faded into the distance, replaced by a heavy silence broken only by Max’s ragged breathing and the faint crackle of distant fires.Despite the chaos surrounding them, the smoke hanging in the air, the distant shrieks of mutants echoing through the estate, Lorne’s hands worked with remarkable precision. He knelt beside Max and dug into their worn med-kit, pushing aside empty wrappers and half-used syringes. His fingers closed around a roll of bandages and a small vial of antiseptic, almost down to its last drops.“Hold still,” Lorne muttered, though his tone was gentler than his words.Max sat propped against a broken pillar, his shirt torn and darkened with blood around his shoulder and forehead. He watched Lorne through half-lidded eyes, his breath coming in sharp, uneven pulls. The buzzing in his ears hadn’t fully faded, and his skull still throbbed from the wasp’s headbutt.Lorne pressed a fol

As they settled into the dim light of the room, Lorne took a moment to truly breathe. The remnants of the house told a story of a life once lived—faded photographs hung askew on the walls, and a dusty table still held the remnants of a family meal long abandoned. A child’s cup lay on its side, its cartoon print half-scratched away, and a pair of chairs sat pulled out as if someone had once stood up in a hurry and never returned. It was a stark reminder of the world they had lost, a world that now felt like a distant memory rather than something they had actually touched.These used to be someone's home. He once had a home now he was a runner “Do you think we’ll make it?” Max asked, his voice barely above a whisper; the clogged tone betrayed his half-sleep state, the weight of uncertainty hanging heavily in the air. His words seemed too loud in the fragile quiet, as if even hope could shatter what little peace they’d managed to find.Lorne met his gaze, determination flickering in his

Max soon pushed himself to his feet, one hand braced on his thigh.He spat to the side. “That’s one hell of a hit… I can hardly feel my face.”“Hey, hero, ever heard of teamwork?” the woman called out with a short laugh.“Yeah, sure,” Max muttered, rolling his shoulders. “Let’s try that.”Working together with the trio, what started as pure chaos slowly turned into something rough but effective. The two by the SUV laid down suppressive fire, each bullet burrowing into the blob’s pulsing mass, slowing its movements and forcing it to shift its weight away from them. That gave Max openings—small, dangerous windows he dove through without hesitation.He weaved in and out of the beast’s reach, stinger gauntlets flashing. Each parry sent more paralyzing energy into its body, causing portions of the mass to lock up, harden, and crack. It wasn’t enough to kill it—but it was enough to hold it.“Now!” Max shouted, driving both gauntlets into its side.Twin beams of red light erupted from his wea